Staunton-Stuarts Draft, VA metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does a restaurant cook make in Staunton-Stuarts Draft, VA?

In the Staunton-Stuarts Draft, VA metropolitan area, restaurant cooks earned a median of $35,900 a year ($17.26 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 500 of these jobs there. That is 25% below the $48,040 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $28,950 and $43,650; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and Virginia tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $29,776 in take-home pay.

Restaurant cook pay in Staunton-Stuarts Draft, VA at a glance

Median salary

$35,900$17.26 per hour · $2,992 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$28,950$13.92/hr
25th percentile$30,420$14.62/hr
75th percentile$37,100$17.84/hr
90th percentile$43,650$20.99/hr
Jobs in this metro500Location quotient 1.07 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here25% belowAll-jobs median $48,040
Against Virginia2% belowStatewide median $36,750
Against the U.S.4% belowNational median $37,390

Run the numbers on your own pay

Same U.S. tax tables as the rest of the site. Change the salary, state, or filing status.

Restaurant cook salary in Staunton-Stuarts Draft, VA after taxes

$35,900
$15,000$75,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$35,900
Net 83%
Fed 6%
VA 3%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$29,776After all taxes
Monthly deposit$2,481Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,145Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate17.1%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$2,128 / yr
Virginia state income tax$1,250 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$2,746 / yr

Restaurant cooks pay range in Staunton-Stuarts Draft, VA, hourly and yearly

BLS May 2025 estimates for the Staunton-Stuarts Draft, VA metropolitan statistical area. Monthly and take-home figures are ours, computed from the annual wage.

What restaurant cooks earned in the Staunton-Stuarts Draft, VA metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (VA)
10th percentile$13.92/hr$2,413$28,950$24,591
25th percentile$14.62/hr$2,535$30,420$25,687
MedianMedian$17.26/hr$2,992$35,900$29,776
75th percentile$17.84/hr$3,092$37,100$30,671
90th percentile$20.99/hr$3,638$43,650$35,557

Is $35,900 a good salary in Staunton-Stuarts Draft, VA?

It depends on what else people there earn and what things cost. Here is the median for restaurant cooks next to both.

Median household income$73,544Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)91.18.9% below national average
One paycheck vs. a household48.8%of area median income

The same job statewide and nationally, and a calculator for your own paycheck.

Do restaurant cooks pay tax on tips?

Yes, but less than before. This job is on the Treasury's list of tipped occupations, so from 2025 through 2028 up to $25,000 a year of reported tips comes off federal taxable income, shrinking above $150,000 of income ($300,000 joint). Social Security and Medicare are still owed on every tip, and most states still tax them. The BLS pay figures on this page already include tips as employers report them.

See what the tips deduction saves you →

Restaurant cook pay in Staunton-Stuarts Draft, VA: common questions

What is the median salary for restaurant cooks in Staunton-Stuarts Draft, VA?

The BLS median annual wage for restaurant cooks in the Staunton-Stuarts Draft, VA metro area was $35,900 in May 2025, about $2,992 a month or $17.26 an hour. Statewide, the Virginia median for this job is $36,750, so the metro pays 2% below the state.

What is the hourly pay for restaurant cooks in Staunton-Stuarts Draft, VA?

The median hourly wage for restaurant cooks in Staunton-Stuarts Draft, VA was $17.26 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $13.92 an hour and one in ten earned more than $20.99.

How many restaurant cooks work in Staunton-Stuarts Draft, VA?

BLS estimated 500 jobs for restaurant cooks in the metro in May 2025, or 9.7 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 1.07 means the job is more concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for restaurant cooks in Staunton-Stuarts Draft, VA?

BLS wage estimates for restaurant cooks in Staunton-Stuarts Draft, VA run from $28,950 at the 10th percentile to $30,420 at the 25th, $37,100 at the 75th, and $43,650 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do restaurant cooks take home after taxes in Staunton-Stuarts Draft, VA?

On a median gross salary of $35,900, an estimated $29,776 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,145 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in Virginia in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $6,125 (an effective rate of 17.1%).

How much do restaurant cooks make per month in Staunton-Stuarts Draft, VA?

On the median annual salary of $35,900, gross monthly income is $2,992. After federal, FICA, and Virginia state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $2,481 per month (or $1,145 every two weeks).

Is $35,900 a good salary in Staunton-Stuarts Draft, VA?

At $35,900, the median salary for restaurant cooks is 48.8% of the Staunton-Stuarts Draft, VA median household income ($73,544). It is 25% below the $48,040 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 91.1, so prices here run 8.9% below the U.S. average.